When no one was looking
by Menolly Harper
Summary: She had left. In a time where you couldn’t trust anyone, in a place where turmoil reigned: they found each other. AoshiMisao.
1. Chapter One

**When no one was looking**

_By Menolly Harper_

**_Summary_**: She had left. In a time where you couldn't trust anyone, in a place where turmoil reigned: they found each other. Aoshi/Misao.

**_Rating_**: PG, may go up, maybe for cursing or suggestive situations.

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Standing in the crowd, always blending in, always staying silent. Black bangs swayed in the breeze as the young woman shuffled through the busy street, the sun highlighting blue within black. Gripping her knapsack the young woman detached herself from the crowd, milling through the outskirts of Kyoto. Eyes darting, she made her way past the sparse buildings into the forest, the rays of light filtering through the leaves of the trees. She was escaping. That was for certain. She was tired of it all, she didn't want to take the coldness anymore, the silence. Makimachi Misao made her choice. She gave up on the 'block of ice' that she cared for so much, vowing to forget him; to forget the name Shinomori Aoshi.

What had he done to make her leave? He did not do anything; he did nothing to stop her, nothing to respond to her. After all the time she had spent looking for him, all the time she had spent taking him meals or tea just to be near him. It had been years, instead of the jubilant 16 year old she was then, she was now 20 years old, and her flamboyant nature somewhat dampened by 4 straight years of rejection. "I hope Okina with understand, and Omasu and Okon…." Misao tried to reassure herself as she walked down the forest path, "But I doubt that Aoshi-sama will care…" Her heart clenched as she thought about the older man. "Because even after all of these years, he still thinks of me as a child, and not the adult I am." It was true, Misao had grown up, but Aoshi had failed to realize this maturity. She shivered a little at the temperature drop, the sun was starting to set, and the wind died down a bit. Deciding that she could just go on traveling through the night, Misao pushed on, squinting her eyes as she looked into the direction of the sun.

Little did she know, a pair of eyes were watching her every move.

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Aoshi looked toward the doorway of the temple as the sun set, expecting Misao to bring him his tea like she always did. As the time went by, and dusk had arrived, Aoshi started to get worried. His brow furrowing in minor distress, he started to get up when a figure stood in the doorway with a tray.

"Gomen nasai Aoshi-sama. The Aoiya is rather busy tonight…" Omasu apologized and trailed off in an explanation.

"Where is Misao?" Aoshi asked, hiding his puzzlement and concern into the same dull tone he used all of the time; his face in its usual expressionless mask.

Omasu started to fidget under his unwavering gaze, and looked at him nervously after she set the tray down. "A-ah…Misao-chan, she um, well…she left."

Aoshi blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean she_ left_?" On the last word his voice developed a bit of a frightful edge.

If Omasu wasn't nervous before, she would be now. "Well, as I had said M-Misao-chan left, she left the Aoiya..." Omasu bowed her head down and averted her eyes. "We don't know where she went, and she is unescorted."

Aoshi just stared at her for a while, watching as she squirmed uncomfortably under his steady icy gaze. "Surely she did not tell you herself that she was leaving?" he inquired.

"No, she left a note." Omasu replied hesitantly.

"Which said why she was leaving?"

Omasu only nodded mutely.

"And just why _did_ she leave?" Aoshi questioned impatiently.

"You."

Aoshi almost didn't hear the reply. But his eyes widened when she said it. _"Me? Why would Misao leave because of me? I thought that she…" _Aoshi snapped out of his thoughts and moved to pass Omasu.

But Omasu blocked him.

"What are you doing?"

"You've hurt her enough Aoshi-sama." Omasu looked him in the eye.

She was right, he had hurt Misao. By leaving, by ignoring her, but he did all that because he didn't deserve her, deserve happiness.

"She cares about you a great deal Aoshi-sama, and I say I am surprised that she lasted this long in waiting for you. But she is a grown woman, and you take her too lightly."

For once in his life, Shinomori Aoshi was left speechless. Mouth slightly ajar, eyes widening even more, he stared in astonishment at Omasu.

"_Now,"_ Omasu thought, _"this is a bit more unnerving than him being silent or angry…"_

Aoshi suddenly cracked from his reverie. Practically running Omasu over, he fled to the Aoiya.

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-growl-

Misao ignored her demanding stomach and trudged on, even though it was well after dark. She knew that she needed to ration her food because she hadn't the time to pack all that much, plus it would weigh her down.

-GROWL-

"OH FINE!" Misao shouted to herself, sick of hearing her difficult appetite.

Sitting down against a tree, she opened her pack and started to dig for the food she had packed. While eating, she had some peace to reflect upon what she was actually doing. "I am the Okashira….but no one ever respects me and treats me like one….some don't even acknowledge me." She whispered to herself bitterly. Chewing on a piece of bread, she heard a snap. Reaching for her kunai and her eyes darting, she never noticed the hand come up behind and close around her mouth, muffling her terror stricken scream…….

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"Okina." Aoshi growled for the fifteenth time in the past five minutes.

"-I'm sure she'll be back by morning, she's probably sitting up in a tree waiting to see just how worried we'll get, just as a prank." Okina told Aoshi laughingly. But inwardly, he knew that Misao would never try to worry everyone so viciously with a prank like this. He knew that Misao meant it. By leaving that is… but as for never coming back…especially because she even said why she was leaving – he did not know what to make of it.

"_Misao…please come back. Please be alright_." The old ninja thought desperately, hoping that Misao would show back up in the morning after a night all alone.

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Well what do you think? I hope you like it, and I promise a longer chapter next time if you review!

Until next time,

Menolly


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the series or the characters of the Anime or manga Rurouni Kenshin.

**When no one was looking**

_By Menolly Harper_

**Chapter Two**

Misao did the first thing that came to mind aside of screaming: she bit down on her attacker's hand.

"Ow! Weasel what are you doing!"

Misao blinked in confusion as her attacker withdrew his now minimally bleeding hand. What can she say? Sharp teeth and a strong bite, it happens when you shovel food into your mouth as much as she does.

She whirled around and stared in disbelief at the spiky haired ex-gangster.

"What…?"

Sano cut her off, "Or is your mind wandering to a certain tall, dark, and cold ex-Okashira?" At his remark Sano wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Misao cuffed him over the head and stomped on his foot for the comment. "What are you doing out this far away from Tokyo anyway? And since when do you care what I think about?" She seethed.

Sano rubbed the back of his head as it throbbed, "_For a weasel she has a pretty strong hit_." Sano made note of as he contemplated his answer.

"Megumi forced me to come all the way to Kyoto and back for some imported medicinal herbs…and she said that if I didn't get them that she wouldn't let me freeload off of her anymore." He explained as a sheepish grin enveloped his face. "So I was just on my way back. So what are you doing on this road anyway? Are you going to pay Kenshin and Karou a visit?"

Misao's smile at what Sano said Megumi had threatened faltered a bit when he asked why she was going to Tokyo.

"Y-yes, I've decided that it's been too long since I had visited Karou-chan, Himura-kun, and Kenji-chan." She explained.

Sano gazed at her with a suspicion in his eyes. "So why didn't you bring your darling Aoshi-sama with you?"

She had to think fast, Sano was starting to catch on quickly. _"Damn rooster head, who knew he actually had wits, and only when she actually wanted him to be an idiot!" _

"He did not wish to come this time, he has things to attend to."

"Doing what? Meditating until his hair falls out?"

At this, Misao started to slowly lose her resolve.

Well, a little more than slowly…

"NANI? How dare you assume such a thing about Aoshi-sama?" Misao raged and dragged out a fistful of kunai with an evil smirk.

"Uh….Ano….Weas-uh-Misao….." Sano stuttered as he backed away fearfully from the rather psychotic seeming girl.

"Yes…..?...Sanosuke…..?" Misao said devilishly as she loomed closer to him with her very sharp kunai.

"_I don't hit girls….I don't hit girls…I don't hit girls…oh kami-sama I didn't think I'd ever want kitsune or tanuki…even ice man to come save my ass from the WEASEL!"_

"Eeep!" He exclaimed as he suddenly backed over a raised tree root and fell on his butt as the still raging weasel stalked slowly but still very frighteningly toward him. She got within two inches of his face, a kunai poised at his quivering Adam's apple, ready to slice into his flesh at any given moment when…

"Gotcha." She said, putting on a satisfied smirk as she backed away to a reasonable distance as Sano sat there in shock.

Sano put a hand over his chest as he exhaled largely and loudly, trying not to hyperventilate.

"Mother of all that is holy and evil….ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?" He yelled at her once he recomposed himself, jumping up from where he had fallen.

Misao cackled for a few moments before turning in the direction of the road that would lead them to Tokyo, and then skipped off to revel in her brief victory in scaring Sano five years out of his life.

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The next morning at the Aoiya the birds were chirping and singing their usual morning concert, but they seemed hollow then to the inhabitants of the restaurant and Oniwabanshuu Secret Headquarters.

Their everyday cheerfulness seemed to drain away overnight with the absence of what was now considered the life of their home.

Misao was gone.

Everyone was worried.

Shinomori Aoshi was practically going out of his skull.

Not that he would let anyone really notice it.

Of course not, he was the undeniable Ice Man that would never melt, never fuss, and never panic.

Well…that last one was definitely not working out the way he planned.

On to more important matters:

Okina paced across the room, socked feet padding almost silently on the wooden floorboards aside from the usual creak or two.

Omasu and Okon watched worriedly as Okina just kept pacing silently, back and forth, and back and forth.

"Okina…do you believe she will come back?" Omasu inquired to the old man, who suddenly came to a halt as she spoke to him.

Okina put on a bright fake smile; much like Misao would do when she was feeling depressed and did not want anyone to worry.

"Of course she will return Omasu, since when has our Misao-chan ever truly left?" Okina assured Omasu and Okon, while actually trying to assure himself with the same thought.

The catch was, even though Misao may have not truly left, who's to say when she would return? Ten days? Ten Months? Or perhaps even Ten years.

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Misao hummed a random tune as she and Sano walked along the roadside to Tokyo. They had stopped for food a little while ago, resting by a pond and enjoying their small breakfast.

Sanosuke, being the 'man' he was, had already devoured all of his food, and resorted to begging Misao for some of the food she had packed.

The first thing she had said to Sano's plea was, "Why not chew on some of those herbs you had to go get for Megumi?"

Sano figured that she was still a little bit miffed over the chaotic banter from last night, especially his teasing her about Aoshi.

So he did the most logical thing he could think of at the moment.

He made a deal.

"Alright Wea-Misao, how about…..I carry your pack for two hours if you give me two bento? Not too bad huh? An hour a piece." Sano tried to negotiate, using all of his charm and wit he boasted about.

No wonder she turned the offer down.

"Alright, two bento, three hours? Please Weas-Misao?" Sano pleaded and whined until the almighty weasel from hell gave in.

"Fine, but only two bento and four hours of carrying my pack." Hey, life's a bitch, you just have to deal sometimes.

"Aw…alright, deal." Sano was about to refuse, but the earthshaking rumble coming from his stomach changed his mind.

Ten minutes, a bathroom break and two squabbles later…

"Are you sure you know which way we're going Weasel?" Sano groaned as he carried her and HIS pack, and again wondered in silent how women could pack so much crap into such a small bag and making it weight twenty pounds?

She turned her head around slowly as she kept on walking and said, "Of course I know which way we're going Rooster, this is the East Sea Road, well, not the main road. But the route that is good to take to avoid nosy people on the main road."

"Ah, so I guess you must take the main road a lot, ne?" Sano said with a sassy smirk.

Misao shot him a death glare that would make all of Edo burst into flames and the people all bow down to her and say in little nasal fly voices, 'Forgive us! Forgive us!'

Which, being the idiot Sano was, all he did was keep on griping about the weight of her pack.

He would get his soon enough.

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It was midday, and Shinomori Aoshi was about the rip out his hair and have a 2nd degree complex.

Of course, still not showing it on the outside though.

No, that would be far too easy for everyone else.

So, while everyone was wallowing in worry, he Shinomori Aoshi would go out and look for Misao himself.

Of course, this was after he had his daily tea and biscuits. Oh how he loved those buttery little biscuits. But now there was no Misao to share these delightful little pieces of heaven with.

The biscuits would just have to wait. They were just no good when there was no Misao to share them with.

He stood up from his seat in front of the tray with steaming tea and biscuits. Taking one last mournful look at the tray, he turned around and went to his closet, taking out his Oniwabanshuu outfit and his trench coat. Stripping himself of his yukata,(A/N: Oh that was fun to write. ) Aoshi put on his old uniform and tied it with a decisive tug.

He had made his decision.

He was going to bring Misao back no matter what.

It was his only choice; after all, it was because of him that she left, just as Omasu said he had hurt her enough. He would hurt her no more. When he brought her back they would have a nice long talk.

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I know, I am a horrible, horrible author. I am so sorry I left you hanging for two months, honestly. I just got busy, and uninspired.

Which thanks to a little Remus One-shot (Harry Potter) I am back on track.

But hey! This one was longer than last chapter! Whoot! ; 4 pages...not much, but considering last chapter was only 2 and a few sentences…(sweatdrop)

I will try to get the next chapter up in no later than two weeks. I'm already ahead of schedule now, I planned on doing this chapter this weekend, but instead, I finished it all tonight!

**Also I'm planning a Saitoh fic**, yes I know I'm weird, but he's my favorite male Ruroken character! So I hope you will check that out once I get the first chapter ready….or it might be a one-shot, I'm not quite sure. If you want a multi-chapter or one-shot incase you are interested in the fic, please leave what you would like it to be in your review, or e-mail me at _**swordfighter2878 (at) yahoo(dot)com (Just delete the space between the 8 and make the (at) the swirly 'a' sign.Obviously the site doesn't like it when you post links with dots as they normally would be)** _

**OmasuOniwabanshi-** Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you like it! I put Omasu in this chapter just for you since you liked her in last chapter so much I just love your fic _**In the Wolves Den** _(shameless plugging for anyone who can spot it ) Hey, since I updated ahead of schedule perhaps you could dish out another chapter ahead of time as well? 'nudge nudge' )

**Western Ink- **I know you reviewed, and that it was also removed because of the site deleting your account. But I still want to thank you for reviewing and with your helpful advice. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**ungu-petite**- A very insightful look at how Misao may also feel, I find it very helpful in understanding things when I can relate to them.

**Soopy-** Here's your longer chapter you wished for, I hope you like it! -

**autumndays-** In my opinion, I think you waited pretty patiently, about as much as I do. I hope you enjoy the chapter you waited so long for.

**darkangelofice****-** Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you like my fanfic so much.

**Lady Luna**- Sadly I didn't get this chapter out as soon as I had hoped, but hopefully I can get the next one out this weekend!

**Be proud, don't flame me please, and also please remember to review!**


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